Editor's Note: The names of the people from the Russian-occupied territories interviewed by the Kyiv Independent for this story have been changed to protect their identity, as they have shared sensitive information that could place them in danger. As Russia largely exhausted its military potential on the battlefield, the Kremlin
As Russia's war against Ukraine rages on, the European Union's top justice official says the EU and its partners want to bring all perpetrators of international crimes to justice. "Not only war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, but also the crime of aggression," European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders
On Oct. 8, Tetiana Bodak was busy organizing a funeral for her mother, who was killed by a Russian attack in then-occupied Kherson Oblast, when she got an unexpected and very emotional phone call from her son. "Mom, I'm in Oleshky (a Russian-occupied settlement in Kherson Oblast). On the way
Editor’s note: For this story, we spoke to people living or having family in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. For their safety, they are identified by first name only. After destroying the Nova Kakhovka dam and stranding thousands of Ukrainians in the catastrophic flood zone, Russians prevented people in
Ten thousand hectares of arable land on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast are expected to be flooded after the disaster at the Kakhovka dam on June 6, the Agriculture Ministry reported on June 7.
The destruction of the Kakhovka dam can lead to serious humanitarian, ecological, economic, military, and legal consequences. The demolition was carried out by Russian forces in southern Ukraine in the early hours of June 6. And it’s among the most dramatic violations of the Geneva Conventions in recent decades.
The dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant across the Dnipro River, occupied by Russian forces, was destroyed on the morning of June 6, sparking a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine. Ukraine's Southern Operational Command reported early in the morning that Russian forces blew up the dam.
Key developments on May 26: * Governor: Russian missile strike on Dnipro clinic kills 2, injures 31 * Kyiv braces 13th air assault since the beginning of May; no casualties reported * Zelensky says Ukraine doing best to procure air defense following the latest Dnipro missile strike * Local authorities: 128 children evacuated from
Key developments on May 4: * Zelensky: We all want to see Putin in The Hague * Zelensky meets Dutch PM and King of the Netherlands, addresses Dutch Parliament * At least one drone shot down over Kyiv; debris causes fire Russian President Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for his country's brutal
On the morning of May 13, Tetiana Horobtsova was busy in the kitchen at her home in then-occupied Kherson when she heard her daughter saying, "Mom, they’ve come for me." She left the kitchen to find her daughter – 37-year-old IT specialist Iryna Horobtsova – standing on the balcony, looking pale
Key developments on April 28: * Russian missile strike on apartment block in Uman kills at least 23 people * Defense minister: Preparations for Ukraine counteroffensive at final stage * Slovak, Czech presidents make joint visit to Ukraine * Denmark delivers Caesar howitzers to Ukraine A Russian mass missile attack against Ukraine killed 25
Key developments on April 27: * Court sentences Russian soldier to life in prison for killing 1, injuring 3 Ukrainians * Russian serviceman admits killing POWs after interrogations, intercepted call allege * Mayor: Collaborator killed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast * US commander confident in success of Ukraine's counteroffensive Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) published an intercepted
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has galvanized Ukrainians into action, compelling them to figure out how they can contribute to their country’s victory. Oftentimes, it has called for a radical departure from the known comforts of their daily lives. That’s exactly what happened to Ukrainian writer Victoria
In March, the International Criminal Court made a historic ruling: It issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia. The statement by ICC says that Putin is "allegedly responsible" for the unlawful deportation and transfer
Episode #4 of "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Russian war crimes in Ukraine and beyond, the culture of violence within the Russian military, and the attempts to keep Russia accountable for the crimes committed in Ukraine.
Key developments on April 18: * Zelensky visits front-line Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast * Putin reportedly visits Russian-occupied Luhansk, Kherson oblasts * Macron wants China to help bring Ukraine, Russia to negotiating table, Bloomberg reports * Former Wagner Group mercenary admitted killing POWs, says "he knows more" atrocities committed President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the
Editor's note: This story contains graphic images that some readers may find uncomfortable. Key developments on April 14: * UK Defense Ministry: Russia 're-energized' assault on Bakhmut as the Kremlin and Wagner improve cooperation * Ukrainian army rejects Russia's claim of being surrounded in Bakhmut, says fierce fighting continues on the streets
Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. At least several Ukrainian servicemen have been beheaded by Russian troops, as alleged by two videos shared online this week. The revelation comes as yet another instance of exceptional brutality demonstrated – and filmed – by Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. One video posted
It was another one of those losses. A young, bright Ukrainian who had a long life to live. Somebody who many perceived as “immortal” because the country’s future was hard to imagine without their dedication and patriotism. Somebody for whom thousands, both friends and strangers, would gather in central
SNIHURIVKA, Mykolaiv Oblast — Early on Feb. 24, as Russian missiles started falling on Ukraine, a few human rights activists started a WhatsApp chat – right as they were sitting in bomb shelters. The next day, the chat transformed into a human rights coalition aimed at protecting those affected by Russian aggression
NOVYI BURLUK, Kharkiv Oblast – The darkness setting over the muddy street of the small hamlet in Kharkiv Oblast did little to hide the destruction Russian soldiers left behind. Novyi Burluk, located 85 kilometers south of the Russian border, was occupied on the first day of the full-scale invasion. The occupation
A Russian missile killed 46 people after smashing straight into an apartment building in the city of Dnipro on Jan. 14. It was one of the deadliest single Russian attacks on Ukraine and the deadliest one for Dnipro, a central Ukrainian city with a pre-war population of nearly 1 million.
When Russian forces opened fire on the peaceful village of Oskil, Kharkiv Oblast, on March 27, Svitlana Voshchana realized her friend’s home was under attack. When the attack stopped, she rushed to their home, hoping the family had managed to hide. Stepping into their yard, she saw the house
Key developments on Dec. 13: * Allies pledge over €1 billion winter aid for Ukraine after Zelensky’s plea * Ukraine repels Russian attacks near 16 settlements in the east * Belarus conducts sudden inspection of troops’ combat readiness * Russia rules out withdrawal from Ukraine by end of 2022 The U.S. President
Key developments on Dec. 12: * Ukraine’s embassy in Greece receives ‘bloody package’ in latest act of intimidation * Russian attack on Hirnyk in Donetsk Oblast kills 2, injures 10 * Ukraine needs $1 billion to restore energy sector, says PM. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address that Russia is
Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions that some readers may find graphic. Standing in line in liberated Kherson for a box of pasta and canned goods with a handsome black dog on a lead, Valerii Hnedov doesn't look like someone who only three weeks prior was languishing in a
On a warm day in early September, Anastasiia Kolchyna took her nine-year-old sons, twin brothers Ruslan and Denys, for a walk. They went to a small park in their native Zelenodolsk, a town in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where many locals would gather on the weekends. The family was enjoying the outdoors
From the indiscriminate killings of civilians in Bucha, Izium and Mariupol, to the everyday terror of long-range missile strikes, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world in its devastation and brutality. Behind the tragic headlines, Ukrainian state institutions are faced with the mammoth task of documenting and
Editor's Note: This article was updated at 10 p.m. to include the recent number of casualties. Russia unleashed another mass missile barrage on Ukraine on Dec. 5 targeting energy infrastructure across the country. Out of the 70 missiles launched by Russia, 60 have been intercepted, the Ukrainian Air Force
Key developments on Dec. 2: * Ukraine's military repels Russian advances near 14 settlements in eastern Donetsk, Luhansk regions. * Russia has lost over 90,000 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, General Staff says. * EU makes final decision to cap Russian seaborne oil prices at $60 a barrel.Ukraine's Embassy in
More than 8,400 civilians, including 440 children, were killed during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
Days before giving birth to her first child, Ukrainian military medic Mariana Mamonova was made to board a plane in the Russian city of Taganrog. She was blindfolded, and her hands were bound with rope. “Do you know where they’re taking us?” she heard a man sitting next to
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